


Can't Catch Them All

by pipisafoat



Series: Jamieverse [2]
Category: In Plain Sight
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-29
Updated: 2011-05-29
Packaged: 2017-10-19 21:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/205513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pipisafoat/pseuds/pipisafoat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary dreams about Peter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Catch Them All

She has a dream the night after Stan calls to remind her that her vacation time is running out. It's That Night again, but it's different from when it happened, different from the dreams that leave her gasping silently, trying not to wake her sister up.

They're coming out of the restaurant, laughing at the same thing, laughing at how Peter looks like the White House guy. The car's there; she can see gun barrels pointed at them, exaggeratedly large. Peter turns to her and smiles, and time seems to slow down around them.

"Let's play a game," he suggests. "I want you to look at the car and imagine that those aren't guns."

Her heart is pounding. "They are guns," she retorts, grasping desperately for annoyance among the terror fighting to control her.

"Pretend they aren't," he insists. "Humor me. They're ... they're spaghetti noodles."

She forces a laugh past the scream caught in her throat. "They're guns, Peter," she says desperately. "Those guys are going to shoot you."

"With water balloons," he replies, nodding. "They're going to shoot water balloons at us, and we're going to catch them."

Time catches up with them again, and there are balloons flying at them. Peter catches the first one and sets it carefully by his feet before grabbing for another. "Are you planning to help me or not?"

"Yeah," she says stupidly. "Help you." She shakes herself into action, feels her heart rate spin back down closer to a normal range. "I tried to help you before," she adds, distress rising again.

"Don't think about that," he says. "I was as fragile as a water balloon." One bursts against his chest, and she jumps. "It's just water."

"That's where you were shot."

He nods. "Hurt like a bitch, too. But it doesn't matter anymore. Mary, you can't catch all these balloons. We're both soaked. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Are you real?" she asks abruptly.

Peter shrugs. "I don't know. I don't think that really matters. I feel real."

She shakes her hair out and pulls it up into a ponytail to buy some time to think.

"You want me to be real so I can forgive you and you can move on." Peter glances at the car shooting water balloons, and it disappears. "But you don't believe in that, so it wouldn't help you even if I said I was real."

"Brandi believes in it," she answers, studying his face. "She would want to see you."

He smiles sadly. "But she doesn't need to see me. She can heal on her own. She's more resilient than you give her credit for."

"And I'm somehow weaker than her?"

Peter shakes his head. "You're not having that conversation with me. Talk to Marshall. Just remember that in your dream, you can change things. You don't have to go through this every night."

She nods. "Spaghetti noodles."

"Do me a favor?" He's starting to get wavery around the edges, a sign that she's waking up. She usually tries to encourage these moments, but tonight she tries to stay in the dream.

"What's that?"

"Don't let her name the kid after me." The last thing she sees before the bedroom wall is Peter's self-deprecating grin.

She rolls towards her sister and nods when she finds her still asleep. She slides out of the bed as quietly as she can and wanders to the couch, cell phone in hand.

"Hey, Marshall. Sorry it's so late. I just ... No, I'm fine. I'm okay. I'll see you in the morning."


End file.
